Do you have a loft full of old Star Wars toys? They might be worth more than you think

Published:15:39Wednesday 16 December 2015

With the latest instalment of the Star Wars franchise – The Force Awakens – hitting the cinema, the shops are full of movie memorabilia, from toy lightsabers to Luke Skywalker action figures.

But it’s not these new toys which are most sought after – it’s the original toys from the 70s and 80s that collectors want to get their hands on. Many of them are worth much more than you think, with the rarest action figures fetching thousands of pounds at auction.

So, if you were an original Star Wars fan, the Halifax bank says it’s worth having a rummage in your loft to see if you’ve got any of these hiding away.

Boba Fett action figure:

Boba Fett may have only had three minutes of screen time in Empire Strikes Back but the bounty hunter has become a firm favourite among fans. A number of versions of the Boba Fett figure have sold for princely sums, including the 1980 rocket-firing figure from Kenner which has an average market value of between £650 and £1,300. Just a few of these were produced due to choking concerns over the tiny missiles.

Jawa with Vinyl Cape:

Palitoy’s Jawa model complete with vinyl cape would have cost just 99p to buy in 1978, but one sold for a whopping £11,300 on eBay in 2013. The vinyl cape is what makes this particular toy so rare – later versions had a cloth cape. Even an unboxed version could be worth hundreds of pounds.

Telescoping Lightsaber Darth Vader:

The original Star Wars action figures released by Kenner in 1978 featured double-telescoping lightsabers designed to mimic the weapon’s movements in the films. But these were easily broken and soon replaced by single-piece sabers, making the originals highly prized collectibles. While telescoping Obi-Wan Kenobis and Luke Skywalkers are sought after, it’s Darth Vader that’s worth the most. One sold on eBay in 2013 with a ‘Buy Now’ price of $29,999.99 (£20,000).

Han Solo in Bespin outfit:

Han Solo action figure modelling his Bespin outfit from the Empire Strikes Back was sold earlier this year as part of a super-collector’s stash, selling for an impressive £2,000 when two bidders went head to head.

IG-88 Droid:

The IG-88 certainly is the droid you are looking for. It may not be as famous as C3PO and R2-D2, but the IG-88 is certainly worth a significant sum. A collector sold a boxed figure for £4,800 at auction earlier this year – despite it costing just £1.40 when it was first released.